The Houthi group said on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had launched 106 air and missile strikes across Houthi-held areas over the past 24 hours, as Yemen's internationally recognized government announced a new military campaign to retake territory from the group amid a widening escalation in the country.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on the social media platform X that the Saudi attacks hit Sanaa and provinces including Al-Jawf and Taiz.

Sarea said the latest attacks brought the number of Saudi air and missile strikes since the current escalation began to 1,516.

The figures could not be independently verified, and Saudi Arabia has not confirmed carrying out the strikes reported by the Houthis.

The Houthi statement came hours after Yemen's government announced the start of what it called the "battle of liberation," marking a new phase in its campaign to retake Houthi-held territory.

The same day, the group also said it made fresh territorial gains in the southwestern province of Taiz to press its advance.

The capture of At Turbah in southern Taiz province marks the first time the Houthis have taken control of the city since Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014, extending the group's recent territorial gains across southwestern Yemen.

Amid the renewed fighting, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that Iran believes the Houthis and Saudi Arabia should engage in dialogue based on the peace roadmap they had previously agreed upon, and Iran is "ready to provide all assistance" to help advance the process.

The latest developments come as tensions across the region remain high, with the Yemen conflict increasingly intertwined with broader tensions between Iran and the United States.

Another tanker attacked as Iran says securing waterway remains priority

A tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which said the vessel was struck by an "unknown projectile."

The impact damaged the tanker's engine room, but all crew members were reported safe. No environmental impact has been reported so far, according to UKMTO.

Baghaei said the country's immediate priority remains the Strait of Hormuz. During a brief visit to Qatar, Baghaei conveyed Iran's position to Qatari mediators, saying that ensuring or restoring the security of the strategic waterway requires concrete steps from the United States.

These include ending interference with Iranian commercial shipping, lifting sanctions and halting what Tehran described as other interventionist measures, Baghaei said.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on the same day that despite Washington's different narrative, the United States had recently conveyed several proposals through intermediaries. He said the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened until the United States meets seven conditions put forward by Iran under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Iran ready for diplomacy, warns of stronger response to military action

While Tehran has taken a tough stance in its latest statements on the US-Iran standoff, Iranian officials have signalled that diplomatic channels have not been ruled out.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the country is still ready to achieve a "just and honorable" solution through diplomacy, but it will give a "more crushing" response if the "enemies" once again resort to military actions.

Araghchi also highlighted Iran's seriousness and decisiveness in both defending itself and advancing diplomacy at a meeting with foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Tehran.

He expressed hope that the United States would choose the path of wisdom and rationality.

Based on the current situation, it would be difficult for either the United States or Iran to break the existing strategic deadlock, said Wang Jin, a Middle East affairs expert from China's Northwest University.

"On the issue of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the two sides have taken diametrically opposed positions, and neither appears willing or able to make major concessions," Wang said.

He added that the two sides also remain far apart on a range of issues, including Iran's nuclear program and regional security. Even a single large-scale military operation by either side is unlikely to force the other to make concessions.

"As a result, the strategic deadlock is likely to persist, and the longer it continues, the greater the risk of further escalation in the region," Wang said.